HomeNews Moment yob smashes up mosque during night of carnage which saw five sites attacked leaving worshippers afraid to bring their children to prayers (9 Pics)

Moment yob smashes up mosque during night of carnage which saw five sites attacked leaving worshippers afraid to bring their children to prayers (9 Pics)

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This is the moment a yob was filmed smashing up the windows of a mosque in Birmingham in a late-night rampage.

The mosque targeted is the Masjid Faizul Islam in Broadway, Perry Barr and it was one of five in the city to be vandalised last night, with anti-terror officers now investigating.

Muslim worshippers in the city say they are afraid to take their children to prayers following the attacks, which took place less than a week after the Christchurch massacre.

The video footage shows a man wearing a hat with his face covered as he walks towards the mosque in the early hours. He is carrying an object in his hand, thought to be a hammer, and uses it to smash a window of the mosque.

ive mosques in the city were attacked in total last night. They are on Albert Road, Birchfield Road, Slade Road, the Broadway and Witton Road in the city.

A concerned parent told Sky News that he no longer 'felt safe taking his five year old to prayers'.

The attack at the Witton Road Islamic Centre in Witton, saw seven windows and two doors smashed up.

The mosque's imam says that the attack took place between 1.30am and 2am with West Midlands Police saying they were alerted to the other attacks throughout the night.

Police were called to the mosque on Birchfield Road at 2.32am before realising that the attack had happened earlier.

At 3.14am, they were alerted to a similar attack at the mosque on Slade Road, Erdington.

They then began patrols in areas with mosques and came across the other damaged buildings.

Forensic officers are working to identify evidence, and CCTV is being examined.

Footage of the damaged Witton mosque was posted online by Labour party Councillor for the Bromford and Hodge Hill ward, Majid Mahmood.

He tweeted: 'Unfortunately the Witton Road Islamic Centre was attacked overnight by an individual who used a sledgehammer to break the windows.

'I said last week that Muslims were afraid after the terrorist attacks in Christchurch.

'We need support in Brum.'

His words were echoed by the Imam of Witton Islamic Centre.

Sharafat Ali, 66, told Birmingham Live: 'Its terrible, the community is shocked because of what's happened in New Zealand.

'We've been here for 30 years. In the morning you get 40 worshippers for morning prayer, on Friday you get about two to three hundred.

'This doesn't happen in Aston.

'Tomorrow is Friday prayers and I don't know what's going up happen.

'We are asking the police to give us more security.'

Home Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted: 'Deeply concerning and distressing to see number of mosques have been vandalised in Birmingham overnight. @WMPolice are investigating motive but let me be clear - hateful behaviour has absolutely no place in our society & will never be accepted.'

Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson tweeted: 'I'm deeply saddened and disturbed by the attacks that have taken place on mosques across Birmingham in the early hours of this morning.

'Mosques are places of worship where people should feel safe and I'm appalled that they've been targeted in this way.

'I stand in complete solidarity with the British Muslim community against the growing tide of Islamophobia we are facing in this country.

'We have recently seen the tragic consequences of right wing extremism in New Zealand. I hope the government takes the necessary steps to reassure the British Muslim community and that the perpetrators of these hate-fuelled attacks are swiftly brought to justice.'

'I have spoken with the Chief Constable & will be in constant contact with community leaders throughout the day.

'I would urge all residents to remain calm & call Crime Stoppers with any info you may have.'

West Midlands Police Chief Constable Dave Thompson said: 'Since the tragic events in Christchurch, New Zealand, officers and staff from West Midlands Police have been working closely with our faith partners across the region to offer reassurance and support at mosques, churches and places of prayer.

'At the moment we don't know the motive for last night's attacks.

'What I can say is that the force and the Counter Terrorism Unit are working side-by-side to find whoever is responsible.

'At difficult times like this, it is incredibly important that everyone unites against those who seek to create discord, uncertainty and fear in our communities.'

John Cotton, Labour councillor for Glebe Farm and Tile Cross areas in the city, tweeted: 'Appalled to see that Birmingham mosques have been the target of vandalism and violence overnight.

'I'm working with @WMPolice & @BhamCityCouncil to ensure we find those responsible & support our Muslim communities.

'These thugs do not speak for Birmingham & will not divide us.'

The Birmingham Council of Mosques said it a statement: 'As far as we can tell the Masajids were based around Handsworth/Aston and Witton.

'We ask the masajids to be vigilant and do not hesitate in reporting any unusual/suspicious behaviour to the police immediately.

'It is vital you report it so it can be logged.'

avid Iqbal, a spokesman for Witton Islamic Centre said: 'We've had a white intruder strike in the middle of the night. He has arrived with a sledgehammer and smashed one window. The force of the swing has actually meant he had lost his grip and the sledgehammer ended up in the middle of the mosque.

'Incredibly, he has then gone away for half and hour and come back with another hammer to damage several more windows. There's about five or six windows that have been put through.

'In that half and hour, other mosques in a two mile radius or so have been attacked as well. So I don't know if he was working in a team and there were several of them.

'Whatever the case, it is just a minority of idiots that do not reflect the values of this city or this community.

'We have boarded up the mosque but it remains open today for worshippers. I'm yet to speak to insurers about the cost of the damage.

'We have asked for extra resources from police, not just for Friday prayers but also for early in the morning and late at night.'

Worshipper Rashid Mohammed, 33, a father-of-three, said: 'I was afraid something like this might happen after New Zealand. It was only a matter of time.

'I won't lie, I've been looking over my shoulder since Christchurch, even to the point where I make sure I'm by an emergency exit when I pray in case anything happens.

'All it takes is one small-minded racist and it is very sad to see this happening in this day and age. We are proud to live in such a diverse city and we are devastated that these incidents still happen.'

Anyone with information has been asked to contact police via Live Chat between 8am and midnight, via 101 any time, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555

Moment yob smashes up mosque during night of carnage which saw five sites attacked leaving worshippers afraid to bring their children to prayers (9 Pics)
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March 21, 2019
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